Kristian Usifoh (1910 ECF/1953 Fide) - Spanton (1953 ECF/1997 Fide)
Catalan
1.c4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7!?
This by-now well-known manoeuvre sees Black spend a tempo misplacing White's dark-square bishop, the general consensus being the bishop is better developed at b2. However, 4...dxc4 and especially 4...Be7 are more common in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.
6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0
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| With both sides castling early, how would you assess the position, which occurs 10,378 times in Mega26? |
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Black has a typical QGD setup, while White, thanks to the fianchettoed bishop, hopes to pressure the black queenside. Stockfish18 and Dragon1 give White the better part of equality.
7...Nbd7 8.cxd5!?
Playing for a Minority Attack is unusual in this variation, but has been tried by grandmasters. White normally continues developing with 8.Qc2.
8...exd5 9.Nc3 c6 10.Qc2 Re8 11.a3 a5 12.Rab1 b5!?
Probably a novelty. Known moves are 12...Bd6 and 12...Bf8, while Stockfish18 suggests 12...Nb6!?, and Dragon1 12...h6.
13.e4!? dxe4
The engines reckon Black is at least equal after 13...b4.
14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Bb7 16.Qf4 Bf6
Perhaps best is 16...c5.
17.Rfe1 Nf8?!
Black equalises with 17...Rxe1+ 18.Rxe1 c5, according to the engines.
18.Rxe8 Qxe8 19.Qc7!? Qd7 20.Bxa5 Rd8?
The engines much prefer 20...Qxc7 21.Bxc7 Ne6 22.Be5 Bxe5 23.dxe5 c5, reckoning White has only a slight edge (Stockfish18) or perhaps the upper hand (Dragon1).
21.Qxd7 Rxd7 22.Ne5!?
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| White has a winning advantage, according to the engines |
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22...Rxd4 23.Bxc6 Ba6?!
The bishop is horribly passive on a6.
24.Re1 Ne6 25.Bc3 Rd6 26.Bg2 h6 27.h4 Nc7 28.Bb4 Re6 29.f4 Re8 30.Bd6 Ne6 31.Bd5 Bc8
Not 31...Rd8? 32.Nxf7!
32.Bb4 Rd8 33.Ba2
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| After much manoeuvring, White remains a pawn up and has denied Black any significant counterplay |
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33...Bb7? 34.Nxf7! Kxf7 35.Bxe6+ Kg6 36.b3 Rd3
Black does now get some play, but only after dropping a second pawn.
37.Kh2 Bd4 38.f5+?
This throws away almost all of White's advantage by seriously weakening g3, as well as allowing the black king relative security on f6. The engines reckon 38.g4 and 38.Bg4 maintain a large advantage.
38...Kf6 39.Bd7!?
This may be best. The alternative is 39.Re2, eg 39...Rd1 40.Be7+!? Kxe7 41.Bd5+ Kd6 42.Bb7, but the engines agree 42...Rd3 gives complete equality.
39...Be5 40.Bxb5 Rxb3?
Drawing is 40...Bxg3+ 41.Kg1, and now 41...Rxb3.
41.Be7+! Kxf5??
After 41...Kxe7 42.Rxe5+ Kd6 43.Re6 Kc5 44.a4, White is two pawns up, but play is not simple, and Dragon1 (but not Stockfish18) reckons White may only have the upper hand, rather than being winning.
42.Bd7+ Kg6 43.Rxe5 Rb2+ 44.Kh3
Also winning is 44.Kg1.
44...Bg2+ 45.Kg4 h5+!? 46.Kf4 Rf2+ 47.Ke3 Rf3+ 48.Ke2 Rf7?!
Black's position is hopeless, but this does not help, as is also the case with 48...Rxg3?! 49.Kf2.
49.Be8 1-0
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